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There are times when quitting is the right thing to do, but there are a number of excellent alternatives - to be chosen at the right time!In Quitting Is Never the Only Option: Some Keys to Staying Fully Invested in Living author and retired pastor Ron Higdon teaches about fully invested living, a way to be able to evaluate situations and act appropriately under any set of circumstances. Yes, quitting is an option. It's just never the only one. The trouble is in deciding which is the best option.Using scripture, experience, and examples from a range of real-life and fictional examples, Ron presents ways of navigating the circumstances you encounter. What is your calling? What is perseverance and what part should it play in your life? How can you find wisdom to help you in making life-changing decisions?Through this entire discussion, the emphasis is on engaged, invested, fulfilling, inspired living. Not the seeking of perfection, or of reputation, or of superiority to others, but in simply fulfilling your own calling guided by divine inspiration and a thoughtful engagement with the world around you.Each chapter includes practical applications and questions for study, making this book suitable for small groups or church-wide studies as well as individual reading.

Can mysticism and process theology work together in a way that is a valuable and practical part of one's spiritual life?In this booklet, the first of three that integrate process theology with contemporary spiritual life and activity, Bruce Epperly brings process thought into our spiritual lives and physical well-being in a call to Shalom in cooperation with the Divine.Epperly is a specialist in bringing difficult concepts to life for everyone. He combines that skill with the short format of the Topical Line Drives series to reach spiritual seekers embedded in a busy and challenging world. Mysticism is not something just for people in ancient times or who live in monasteries. It can be a vital part of your life.These may be the words you're looking for to understand and express what you feel.

Religious and spiritual healing practices are often seen as a show in which a healer claims to physically cure someone through actions or words. These healings mostly fail.In this booklet, the third of three that integrate process theology with contemporary spiritual life and activity, Bruce Epperly presents a very different view of healing. He calls for a healing ministry, but one that finds God in all things and uses scientific medicine, healing ritual practices, and prayer in concert, sometimes for spiritual healing but also for a way to live out the challenge of illness, to face death with dignity, and yes, sometimes for a cure that appears miraculous. He applies these healing practices not just to human beings, but to all life and to the planet we live on. Healing is not the province of a few, calling on supernatural forces. Rather, it is a cooperation with the energies God has placed in the universe. Rather than supernatural it is more natural than anything.Epperly is a specialist in bringing difficult concepts to life for everyone. He combines that skill with the short format of the Topical Line Drives series to present a call for all of us to be healed and to become healers as part of God's call to life and light.This book may well be the call you need to hear to find wholeness, Shalom, in your life and your relationships to others and this world.

Being prophetic is often thought to be a matter of predicting the future, creating charts of end times events, and scaring people into accepting narrow, authoritarian and other-worldly images of God, humankind, and political involvement. That is a distortion of what prophetic ministry has been and can continue to be.In this booklet, the second of three that integrate process theology with contemporary spiritual life and activity, Bruce Epperly presents a prophetic vision and also a vision of prophetic ministry that is forward looking, but not predictive or controlling, challenging while offering freedom, and positive in its outlook.Epperly is a specialist in bringing difficult concepts to life for everyone. He combines that skill with the short format of the Topical Line Drives series to present a call to prophetic ministry that invites everyone to action, and applies the prophetic voice to lifegiving words and works for all people everywhere and also for the planet we live on.This book may well be the call you need to hear to be a voice and a medium for positive change in our world.

What is a "narrative devotional commentary"? It's a new way to gain insight into a Bible book with commentary that flows much like the source text.For those who may have found the gospel of Mark less helpful than the other gospels or who have looked at it more as a collection of stories strung together in order to get us to the end of Jesus' life, this commentary could be a breakthrough. Allan Bevere follows the story while at the same time bringing insight, both from historical sources and from the history and the faith of the Church. As he does so, the gospel of Mark comes alive as we learn to hear in these stories a connected story leading to who Jesus was, and then who Jesus is.This short commentary avoids the pitfalls of enumerating dry details on the one hand, while also sticking to a serious, scholarly approach to the text. You can read clear, well-founded ideas about the text in a devotional way without the distraction of excessive notes or long, complex excurses.This book is suitable for a popular audience who will be led to a more serious understanding of the gospel writers, of Jesus, and of the Gospel that they proclaimed. More scholarly readers will find it a good aid to meditation and to absorbing the devotional message of the text.

The chance of playing on any Division 1 college basketball team ... 1.3%. The chance of playing at your dream school ... practically 0%.It was a long shot to say the least. The road to Chapel Hill would begin early in Leah's young life and be comprised of mountain-tops and valleys and sunshines and storms. The journey was one of the highest of highs and lowest of lows. It would be a path that tested, challenged and grew her faith.The path to dreams is often found to have side paths and crossroads with different options. Unforeseen roadblocks can make navigation difficult, often trying your faith and testing your strength.Leah kept going ... and with God made the long shot. You will be encouraged and challenged by her testimony.

On March 14, 2017, everything about Felecia Marshall's life as she knew it changed when her daughter Alexia was murdered. At the time, it seemed like a pit that she would never be able to ascend. But God!Reflecting on, and growing from, this experience, she penned the book Grant Me Justice and founded Grant Me Justice: A Voice for the Victim, where she has been given the privilege of connecting with women worldwide who have lost their children to violence.This book is powerfully and compellingly written, as is only possible when one writes from deeply felt and seriously considered experience. A book about the loss of a child to violence could be simply a negative condemnation of that violence and of the people who carried it out. A story of dealing with the court system in a search for justice could be a tale of despair, producing only anger.There is anger to be felt in these stories - righteous anger. There are moments of deep despair. There are evils encountered and wrongs done.But God!This book tells the story of the wrongs. It portrays the evil so you can know it, recognize it, and acknowledge it, but it then goes on to deal with it in light of the gospel, in the light of our God who knows our pain, our anger, even our despair, and walks with us from there to dancing.There are places in this book that will challenge you to consider your own actions. God is found to be the source of justice, but are you ready to be part of bringing that justice to others?Felecia Marshall has chosen to build when she could tear down. She has chosen to move to dancing when she could spend her life in mourning. She has chosen to help others find justice, when she could-justifiably-spend her time in criticizing and complaint.Now she has opened herself up to you through these heartfelt words in the hope of helping you find the same joy.Will you read this and face the challenge?

What do you need in order to become a truly spiritual person?Many people believe the answer is that you need to have some accomplishments, or an especially spiritual nature, or perhaps theological training. Ron Higdon believes that you don't need all those exciting things that lift you about the ordinary realm of this world. He believes you can be truly grounded and yet spiritual, and that the spiritual life starts with understanding the gospel and allowing God to work.He starts his presentation by asking why we think we need these extra "things" or "qualities" to become a spiritual person. Then he looks at Jesus and the gospel message and applies this point by point to our lives and what will help us to avoid spiritual burn-out and unrealistic expectations of what we can do for ourselves. Our uniqueness as individual human beings is a key part of our spiritual heritage and our spiritual goals. God made us this way and loves us this way.This book is grounded in the basics of Christian theology and deeply practical in bring the gospel to the trials and triumphs that face us in daily living. It is excellent for either individual reading and study or as a resource for small groups.

Black and Brown Christians in America often live in a world that is separated from that of White Christians, with White Christians seemingly unaware of their concerns. Can these groups function as effective parts of the Body of Christ?In I Have to Live with Them? Dr. Terrell Carter works to bridge the gap in our understanding and thus help to find the way for us to work together. Is the church functioning as a positive force in society? Shouldn't we be talking more about the gospel and less about race? What can we do when we find that, rather than a solution, we ourselves are part of the problem? Is there accountability for the damage done historically?In this very short treatment, you'll find some answers to these questions and some pointers toward ways of facing these issues squarely and finding positive ways forward.

When Christians approach studying the book of Daniel, they most commonly think about beasts and complex prophecies. But what is the value of the stories from the first half of the book?Dr. Terrell Carter takes a look at these stories and what they tell us about God and ourselves, about living in horrible situations, and responding to unimagined pressure and hardship. How does one maintain a strong relationship with God while living in a land and in a society where one's values are not the norm?Daniel and his friends are confronted with such circumstances in these stories from the early chapters. Certainly the stories are examples both of moral and ethical decision making and of God's miraculous activities, but they are also stories that give us an understanding of God. When and why does God intervene? What does this mean about God's activity-and ours - on this troubled planet?You'll find in this book that the stories so commonly told in Sunday School are not just a matter of wonder, but are dealing with the basic questions of human life and of God's sovereignty, of our duty and God's action.This book is suitable for Bible study groups as well as for individual reading.

Your church is dying! Should you just give up and close the doors?Dr. Robert LaRochelle thinks there are more answers and more options. In this book, he draws from a lifetime of experience as a teacher, pastor, counselor, and writer to offer ideas and strategies to make the church a caring presence in your community and to revive and sustain what many may have regarded as a dying church.From worship to Christian education, from the elderly members to the youngest, and with consideration and concern from multiple denominations and communities, Dr. LaRochelle builds a case for a continuing caring presence of the church in our communities.This book will be encouraging to those who seek new strategies to meet the changing needs of their 21st century congregations. With that encouragement, it will provide practical advice. If a church must close, it will help congregants work together to continue in their work of sharing, ministry, and service to one another and to their community.This book is designed for anyone who is interested in keeping the ministry of the many churches in America alive and helping them grow and change. Church leaders and pastors will be especially blessed.

We often hear about the role of individuals in responding to grief, but what is the role of the faith community? Can we respond in a planned and effective way as a community in supporting those among us who are dealing with loss?Dan Dixson, pastor, counselor, and consultant with extensive experience in dealing with grief and managing programs with a community perspective, believes that the community can and should play an important role, and that we should train for, plan for, and organize for an effective response. Only in this way can we be sure that we will provide the best possible support to the many people who are dealing with loss in our communities.In this book, Dr. Dixson starts from the time when the loss occurs and guides the reader through the process through that continued care that is necessary. Each chapter presents the situation clearly and outlines responses.This book does provide a framework, but in addition, it provides guidance for specific actions. It doesn't just point out the needs. With each need it provides practical, actionable suggestions for how the community can respond.Pastors and church leaders will benefit from this work, but it is also useful for congregational, small group, and individual studies. Each person is called to this important service to one another.

"Revival" has not been a popular word in mainline and progressive circles, but as more and more progressive and open & relational theologians have become open to spiritual and mystical possibilities, interest has grown.Bruce Epperly, who has previously tackled such controversial issues as angels, miracles, healing, and prayer, now takes on this challenging topic. With renewed discussion as the result of the Asbury Awakening and the release of the movie "Jesus Revolution," his response to revival movements in the church is especially welcome.Bruce has long been a prominent proponent of process theology for every church member, explaining some of the more difficult concepts in relatable terms for the people in the pews. In this book, he recognizes the need for revival, and asks what this should look like.Too often "moves of the Spirit" die out as people find it difficult to see a way to live out the divine encounter they have experienced.This book is addressed both to those hungry for more and to those who have felt the presence of the Divine in various ways and are asking how they can understand and live in the light of that they have experienced.

Christians often talk about a faith that is relevant, fresh, and new. At the same time, we often forget that the faith is also rooted in a rich history, one that can enlighten and deepen our spiritual walk.In Classic Devotions: A Thirteen-Week Devotional and Introduction to Classic Theologians and Mystics of Christian History you will be invited to connect with this rich history of Christian devotion in an accessible way. Each of the thirteen weeks is devoted to a particular Christian mystic or theologian. Through the week, there are quotations from that person or group of persons, with parallel scripture passages. On the seventh day, there are questions for practical application to help you apply these ideas and insights in your own thinking and your own life.Each devotional is relatively short. But if you follow the suggested by the author for studying and meditating each day, you will find a wonderful opportunity to learn more and build a connection both with the community of God's people through the ages, and through that connection with God and with others today.This book can be used for individual devotions, or can be studied in a group.

What do walking, meditation, prayer, and process-relational theology have to do with one another? In the view of theologian Bruce Epperly, much, in every way!This delightful devotional book draws from the experience of decades as a pastor, but also from simply living the principles of process-relational theology. The first chapter title, "It Will Be Solved in the Walking," sets the tone. Epperly continues to look at some of the simple things of life and find in them opportunities to hear Divine wisdom and to see new opportunities and energies released in your life."Religion without adventure is dead," he says, and then presents spiritual adventure after spiritual adventure.Each chapter grew out of reading and meditating on a quotation from Alfred North Whitehead. The reader is not only taking a walk with Whitehead, but also with the author as he presents how this particular quotation impacted his life and his ministry.This is a devotional book designed to draw the reader into an experience of spiritual and theological adventure. It includes exercises that suggest how to grow from and beyond the meditations in the book. It is suitable for individual or small group reading and study.

The gospel of John, titled simply "According to John" in ancient manuscripts contains some of the simplest language in the New Testament.The Greek of this book is so simple that it is often used in teaching beginning students to read New Testament Greek. Pastors and teachers often recommend the book as a good starting point for new Christians reading the Bible for the first time. But the simple vocabulary and structure belies an extraordinary spiritual depth.While there are lessons to be learned from an initial surface reading, diligent seekers will find incredible depths. Understanding these deeper lessons requires one to see the book as a whole and understand the intricate pattern of connections between the various parts. Verse by verse and even passage by passage study can be misleading.New Testament scholar Herold Weiss spent a considerable amount of time searching for the best way to open up the treasures of this gospel to non-scholars and settled on a series of meditations on various phrases or events related in the book. In each meditation he ties the specific theme to related passages and imagery throughout the gospel.His masterful presentation will open your eyes and mind to new insights into the fourth gospel, early Christianity, and its application to 21st century Christianity.

Theology is a complex subject, with many subdisciplines, and is know for thick volumes with dense prose. This book bucks that trend, but hitting the basics briefly, but carefully.In this 50th volume of the Topical Line Drives series, theologian and church historian Dr. Robert D. Cornwall provides a clear introduction to the basics. His approach is not to give you a set of beliefs about God, but rather to provide you with an introductory foundation to the way Christians talk about God. Key concepts, such as omnipotence, impassibility, transcendence, immanence, and yes, love, along with many others. The content is brief, but carefully designed as a launching pad for further study.Read this book in order to make all your other theological reading more profitable. It will keep you from missing out because some of the basic were passed over, or were obscured by extensive discussion.Besides individual reading, this volume is useful as an introductory reading in theology courses or for small groups in churches who would like to better understand their other curricula and more profitably discuss their ideas about God.

The word "holiness" has become somewhat unpopular, as people associate it with a holier-than-thou attitude, a judgmental approach to others, or a legalistic approach to Christian life.But holiness is a word that is used a great deal in scripture and has a long history in Christian theology. Is it possible to talk about holiness as a positive element in living? Can people be called to be holy and in fact called holy?Dr. Allan Bevere believes so. Working from the Wesleyan tradition, but also examining the broader record of Christian thought and the scriptural witness, he looks at what holiness is and is not. As he does so he finds it helpful and challenging rather than negative and destructive.Topical Line Drive volumes are intended to point you to the basics and provide a start for deeper study. Individuals and small groups will find this book ideal as a starting point for a study of this important topic. All God's saints (holy ones!) should understand where they stand as they worship a holy God.

What God begins with your story, God will continue to completion. In this final book of her Family Secrets trilogy, Nancy Petrey ties together the threads of providence as the characters deal with mystery, danger, and a variety of obstacles to fulfilling their destinies.This book again combines fast action, romance, theology, and divine providence in a unique way. You will be learning a variety of things about scripture, history, prophecy and world politics as you enjoy the lively antics (and thoughtful plans) of the characters you have come to know from the first two volumes of this series.Again, history and geography are seriously researched. You'll find yourself learning a little bit of Hebrew along with the characters.Author and publisher pray that you will hear the call to follow God's leading and to depend on God's providence. The people and events are fictional, but the God presented in this story is real.This may be the most entertaining course in theology you could possibly take.

(Simplified Mandarin Edition) What is the church? What does it look like? What should it look like? For answers to these questions David Alan Black looks to the first century church and our founding documents in the New Testament. What were the characteristics of a Christian assembly in the first century? In his study he finds seven things that defined the church then: Evangelistic Preaching, Christian Baptism, Apostolic Teaching, Genuine Relationships, Christ-Centered Gatherings, Fervent Prayer, and Sacrificial Living. Dr. Black believes each of these things should characterize our twenty-first century churches as well. And that is the challenge. How can we apply these principles in our own lives and church congregations? This brief book won't answer all your questions. What it will do is point you toward the right way to find the answers. Ultimately, Dave Black believes that "the more we understand the Scriptures, the more we understand our responsibility to submit our lives and our futures to its radical teachings." This is the challenge. Will you answer it?

Should the Byzantine text-type be considered valuable in determining the original text of the New Testament? Does it bear independent witness to ancient readings?Dr. Harry Sturz, in a book published in 1984, maintained that it should be valued and that it could help with finding older readings and thus contribute to our knowledge of and confidence in the text of the Greek New Testament. His position, that the Byzantine text-type should be weighed along with other witnesses to the ancient text, differs from those who dismiss Byzantine manuscripts, which were largely copied later, but also from those who hold that the Byzantine text has priority or even is determinative of what the final reading should be. He uses carefully laid out arguments and numerous specific examples in making his case.This book is divided into two parts. The first outlines the positions both for relying on the Byzantine text and for largely ignoring it. Part two examines the evidence and outlines an argument that neither side of this debate should win the field, but rather that the Byzantine text should be valued, but not made exclusive.Energion Publications is pleased to offer this reprint edition, reproducing the text of the old book exactly, and adding a preface by Dr. David Alan Black. We believe that Dr. Sturz''s arguments provide a strong case and are as relevant today as they were in 1984. We also believe that not just scholars but all believers should be made aware of discussions about the text of Scripture so that they can understand the arguments for the reliability of the text we have today.This book is primarily aimed at students of New Testament textual criticism and at scholars who are seeking to refine their art. The first section especially is accessible to any serious reader. While the second section does include Greek text and excellent references, the main argument is clear and accessible.